Skepticism: An Anthology (Paperback)

Description

This anthology contains the principal texts of the skeptical tradition from its origins in antiquity to contemporary philosophy. Selections include the writings of both well-known and lesser-known but influential philosophers of the Western tradition who either advanced skeptical views or dealt with skeptical issues for other philosophical or religious purposes. An introduction on the origins, kinds, and significance of philosophical skepticism puts the various readings in the context of the history of Western philosophy. The editors have also added brief discussions of each philosopher and text included in the anthology, plus a selected bibliography, which lists the main secondary literature on ancient, modern, and contemporary skepticism.This collection is ideal for introductory philosophy courses and courses on intellectual history, or for any reader interested in an influential school of thought, which challenges the nature of philosophy itself.

About the Author

Richard H. Popkin (1923-2005) was professor emeritus of philosophy at Washington University, St. Louis; adjunct professor of history and philosophy at UCLA; and the author of many books including The History of Scepticism from Savonarola to Bayle and Skeptical Philosophy for Everyone (with Avrum Stroll). Jose R. Maia Neto (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) is associate professor of philosophy at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil and the author of Machado de Assis: The Brazilian Pyrrhonian and The Christianization of Pyrrhonism: Scepticism and Faith in Pascal, Kierkegaard, and Shestov. He is also the editor (with Richard H. Popkin) of Skepticism in Renaissance and Post-Renaissance Thought."